The fish hook is one of the oldest tools used in fishing and various types of hooks are known in the art. Typically, fish hooks are curved or sharply bent, and have a bight portion with a point and barb at one end. In modern sport fishing, it is common practice to catch fish and subsequently release them back into their environment. Because of the design of modern fish hooks, the releasing component of this "catch and release" system can be rather troublesome.
During a successful catch, the point and barb of the fish hook are normally well embedded within the mouth of the fish. To remove the hook the fisherman must typically twist the hook while applying substantial force until the hook is loosed. This removal process can sometimes be very difficult. Additionally, this process also subjects the fish to substantial mouth trauma. Specifically, modern barbed hooks tear the flesh in the fish's mouth as they are being removed.
Prior to the present invention, there has been no fishing apparatus designed for the modern "catch and release" system. Thus, what is needed is an apparatus which is efficient for catching fish yet can be easily removed from the mouth of the fish and which does not unnecessarily injure the fish.